The present invention relates generally to agricultural machinery and more particularly to improvements to a counter knife bank assembly of a chopper assembly for an agricultural combine.
Chopper assemblies of the general type herein disclosed usually include a set of “fixed” cutting elements or a knife bank, and a plurality of rotatable cutter bars, which pass between the fixed cutting elements and cooperate therewith to disintegrate the straw or other agricultural material delivered into the chopper assembly. However, when the chopper assembly is used in conjunction with a combine, the chopper may frequently be subject to extremely heavy loads as, for example, an auger bit, a rock or any other object of strength that can cause damage to the fixed cutting elements. Current fixed blade choppers do not have a mechanism for relieving pressure to pass these obstructions. Additionally, conventional chopper assemblies do not allow the knife bank to reengage without manual and physical intervention by an operator.
Thus, there is still a need for a counter knife bank assembly of a chopper assembly that is capable of passing obstructions that can cause damage to the knife blades of the knife bank assembly while still maintaining the proper pressure required so as to be able to chop harvested crop material. Additionally, there is a need for a counter knife bank assembly that can be reengaged after it has been disengaged by the above mentioned obstruction without the operator having to manually and physically reengage the knife bank so as to improve efficiency of operation. Such a need is satisfied by the counter knife bank assembly of the present invention.